Improvement in reed-organ actions



' SSheets-SheetZ.

A. H. HAMMOND.

REED-@MAN Ac'r1oNs.` A No. 183,496. Patented Oct. 24,1876. v

WFH-1555155 16K/M249@ 4) NA PUERS. PHOTDLDTHOGHAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

SSheets-Sheet 3. A. vH. HAMMOND.

REED-ORGAN ACTIONS.

No.183,496. Panama on. ze, 187e.

N. PErERS, PHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE;

ANDREW H. HAMMOND, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN REED-ORGAN ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l3,496, dated October 24,1876; application filed July 3, 1876.

To all 'whom it may concern y Be it known that I, ANDREW H. HAMMOND, of the city and county of Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reed-Organs; and I hereby declare the following to be a description of my said invention, sufficient-ly full, clear, and exact to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciication, and inl which- Figure l represents aplan view of such parts of a reed-organ as are necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section of the same 5 Fig. 3, a horizontal section, showing arrangement of the connecting-rods, &c. y

My invention consists in certain improvements in the construction and organization of the stop mechanism in reed-organs, and in the devices for connecting and operatiugthe mutes and also the octave-coupler mechanism, as hereinafter fully described, the subject-matter claimed being hereafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, A denotes the frame; B, the reed-bed; B', the reeds; C, the air-valves; O', the valve-rods', and D the keys, all of which parts may be arrangedin the ordinary manner. E denotes the stop-pulls, the rods E1 of which are supported to slide in and out at the upper part of the frame A. F denotes the mutes, which are arranged to close down upon the reeds B', as indicated. Gr indicates the swellvalves, which are raised by the action of the rod G' 5 and H indicates the octave-coupler table, upon which are supported the couplinglevers H'. The stops E are provided with peculiar-shaped arms or connecting-levers I, in

the present instance formed from wire. Their upper ends pivot in the stop-rods El, while their central portion is formed or bent with an oset, as at I', and their lower ends are provided with cushions or head-pieces J, to which the connecting-rods K are secured. The 1evers I pass from the pull-rods E1 downward through openings in a bar or supporting-seat, A', fixed to the rear part of the frame A. or otherwise, and the peculiar form and arrangement of the levers I is such that when the pulls E are drawn the offset portions I of the levers will rest upon or against the supportingseat A', as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and will, without other attachments, iirmly retain the parts in position, and prevent any movement occasioned by strain on the rods K, while at the same time no strain or tendency toward backward movement is imparted to the pull-rods E1. The operation of the stop mechanism is also rendered easy and quiet. The levers I can, ifpreterred, be made from wood or any other suitable material, and said levers I and their supporting-seat A' may be modified as to size and position to conform to the requirements of organs of different construction. The mutes F, which are hinged, as at a a, to swing upward, I provide with short arms or pins f, to the upper ends of which I join the connecting-rods K. In the case of the front mutes making a direct connection with the lever I or its head J, and in the case of the rear mutes, I change the direction of movement of the connection K by the use of apivoted arm or reversing-lever, K1, arranged substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By this arrangement the connections or rods K are subjected to tensile strain only, and can, consequently, be very small. The connections K are preferably made with small wires, with their ends bent or looped around orinto openings in the arm-heads J and pins f, and the wires passing' through small spaces in the walls ofthe air-cells. Said connections K can also, if desired, be made by means of cords or by wood rods, or with any suitable material. The octave-coupler table H is hinged at h to move up and down for bringing the couplinglevers H' Within reach ot' the keys D, in the ordinary manner. For imparting to said table H its upward movement, I employ bent rods L, or equivalent inclined pieces, the outer ends of which are pivoted or hinged to a rocking bar or piece, M, attached to the forward part of the frame A, as indicated, while the rear ends of said rods L are fitted to slide in grooves on the frame beneath the table H. The piece M is hinged to the frame A in such manner that it can be moved or swung` backward by the connecting-rod K2, operated by the pull E2, which backward movement ofthe bar M slides the inclined portion of the rods L beneath the table H in the manner of a Wedge, thereby. elevating said table with ease, and solidly and lirmly supporting it while in its elevated position, (see Fig. 2,) so that the downward pressure ot' the keys D can cause no springing or trembling ot' the coupler devices or table H. The'bar M can be made of any desired length, with the rods L 'arranged at desired intervals throughout its length, thereby operating the coupler devices With ease and facility.

Forward of the arms or levers I, and hinged to a suitable part ofthe frame A, I arrange a rocking bar, N, from which depend arms O, reaching' to, and terminating with rounded ends at, the front sides of the cushions or heads J ot' the levers I, or such of said levers as are employed for operating mutes F. A lever or arm, P, projects-from the rocking bar N, andis joined, by suitable connections n, to the shaft It, (which latter is moved by the ordinary knee-swell device, not herein shoWn,) so that the action lot said shaft R rocks the bar N, causing the arms O to press back the levers I J, andthus open all the m-utes F not previously opened by drawn stop-pulls E, the arms vO operatngindependently of and Without affecting the stop-bars El,

What I claim as new and ot my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with the stop pulls or rods E1 and mute-connections K, ofthe arms or levers I, constructed with osets I', arranged for operation against a suitable supportingseat, A', substantially in the manner described, whereby the levers are rendered self-supporting and the mutes held open when the pulls are drawn.

2. In combination and relative arrangement, substantially as described, the mutes F, provided With arms or pinsf,the connectingl rods or cords K, With the reversing-lever K1, the offset levers or arms I, and stop-pulls E El, for the purposes set forth.

'3. In combination with the octave-couplerV table H, 'the inclined reciprocating rods or Wed ges L, bar M, and mechanism for imparting movement to .the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the levers I or cushions J, which sustain the mute-connections, and the operating-shaft It. of a rocking bar, N, provided With arms O, which act against said levers I or cushions J, and operate the mutes when said bar N is oscillated, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ANDREW H. HAMMOND.

Witnesses OHAs. H. BURLEIGH, HORACE S. BRIGGs. 

